"With the rule in place, when (class size) limits are exceeded, districts hire additional staff or find a paraprofessional to help," Melissa Seivers, a special-education program supervisor in Jacksonville, wrote in an opinion piece in Tuesday's State Journal-Register.

"If class size restrictions are lifted, already-burdened special-education teachers would not be able to meet the needs of their students."

That's not the board's intent, spokesman Matthew Vanover said.

The board thought individual schools should be allowed to make their own personnel decisions when it comes to special education. That way, he said, if a school determined that it needs to modify its program, it could do so.

"Local districts should be able to best respond to the individualized education plans instead of having that dictated from the state level," he said.

Individualized education plans are required for each student in special education.

But those opposed to the rule changes are glad the board pulled the discussion from the agenda.

Freeport teachers union President Justin Yeager said teachers would have been burdened with extra paperwork - like creating additional types of practice work and assessments - to address the demands of the added students with special needs in a classroom.

"The special-education students, they need that one-on-one help from the teacher. To increase the special-education students in the class would not have allowed the teacher the opportunity to offer the help," he said.

Money, too, is a factor in the opposition to the rule changes.

IEA spokesman Charlie McBarron said eliminating the rules would mean the burden of building special-education programs would fall on school administrators. Keeping the rules in place would prevent administrators from making "bad decisions" based on pressure caused by the state's dismal record of funding education.

"We have always had the indication that the state board listens," McBarron said. "They have heard from the experts in the classroom, particularly the teachers."

IEA President Cinda Klickna reiterated that point in a statement Tuesday: "The decision not to take up the rule change shows that the ISBE is listening to what the teachers and parents are saying."